dragon's vein

Meng Qi also known by people in the past as Meng Guoshi, a minister/state teacher from the past fallen dynasty who logically should not looks that young anymore (if he's normal human, he should be 87 years old). After some time, Mo Li is sure Meng Qi is Tanjiang Mountain's dragon's vein and without telling him why, asks him to go with him to the capital, located at Tanjiang Mountain. Mo Li also hoping to find another dragon's veins, and curious about his own race.

Things I found interesting/cute/funny (if my memories not wrong) (SPOILER warning) :

• • One funny running joke is how a general who Meng Qi wants to kill when he first met Mo Li, is somewhat knew him and very scared of him (Meng Qi thought this person stole his elixir so he needs to die), and because Mo Li's interference, Meng Qi forced him to give them his money instead. More than once. Mo Li thought General Liu is now Meng Qi's wallet.

• • Meng Qi (actually same being as Mo Li) thought himself as an elegant and prestigious person, but found himself actually a.... fat gerbil. He's very disappointed :''D Even so he still carried his 'elegant ways' as gerbil but Mo Li just see him as a cute fat gerbil. Meng Qi also very reluctant to being carried by Mo Li, but the latter just stated 'what happen if you suddenly turns to gerbil again in front people?'. Later he's found a comfortable sleeping place near Mo Li's chest. He's also quite annoyed when Mo Li touching his fat stomach (as he thinks he's not that fat not that cute! He's Meng Guoshi, the important person of the Chu Dynasty! Not a fat gerbil!!).

• • Every time they need to change form, the clothes did not magically kept. In Meng Qi's case, the clothes sometimes gone. Sometimes he stayed as gerbil until Mo Li found him clothes, but lot of time Meng Qi who already accustomed with it just suddenly appears in bedroom, naked, much to Mo Li's annoyance.

• • Meng Qi want to carrying Mo Li's medicine box, but Mo Li refused because he's the patient and 'what happen if you become gerbil' again. Meng Qi thought what if Mo Li changes instead of him but both think 'how you can carrying a fish??' so Meng Qi reluctantly gave up and become obedient gerbil.

• • Mo Li's thought about dragon's veins. But he's a fish! And Meng Qi is a gerbil! Both of them unaware with their origin, so by logic he always think 'but im a fish??'.

• • Mo Li's first arrival to big town and he found sugar fried chestnut. Gerbil Meng Qi look at him with very expectant eyes and he bought two portion where one is for him. But Mo Li found it very delicious and snack it all, leaving none for the gerbil, and shyly bought another one. Later human Meng Qi got money from General Liu and told him 'Doctor, we can now buy sugar fried chestnut'.

• • Because Meng Qi is patient, even though both are (later) aware that they are high in internal energy and does not need to eat, Mo Li always feed Meng Qi. One time, they're in a hidden village when some people who looking for treasure comes and want to kill the villagers. Mo Li bring half of the hard cakes and when Meng Qi asks why cakes when they need to battle he said 'you need to eat'.

• • He still feed Meng Qi even in his gerbil form.

• • Meng Qi thought Mo Li is human at first and found him interesting that while he's good man and looks innocent for this world, he has an unusual perception towards certain things. For example in one county where the White Lotus (forgot its name) sect wreak havoc, Mo Li does not run to help people because 'I'll help people who want to be healed; They does not want to be healed.'

• • He later realizes that he's in love with Mo Li. The sudden change make Mo Li worried so he check his pulse in rush only to find out... it's strange... and looks at Meng Qi's lower body.... Meng Qi is very embarrassed. Because Mo Li is stoic, he thought the doctor misunderstanding, but Mo Li said 'so you want to spend your first spring night with me' and lmao poor Meng Qi his defense is ruined.

• • Mo Li thought 'so dragon's vein can think of reproduction too' and talking with Meng Qi about dragon's veins having kids (??). Later he thought 'how can dragon's veins have children' and 'but now we both human how men can have baby' (or something like that) and somehow he's curious and trying to change form to woman and then said to Meng Qi 'turns out our form is fixed and I cant change to woman' LMAO WHY U EVEN THINK THAT AT FIRST PLACE

• • Actually, dragon's veins can have "children". Meng Qi has a lot. It's just Mo Li's mountain is smol and bare while Meng Qi's has abundant reiki/chi/energy and it produce another smol veins albeit still does not have awareness (except one that happen to meet Mo Li).

• • Because Mo Li in default is expressionless and in fear of Meng Qi's sudden amok, hiding facts from him, Meng Qi who found him interesting start to trying to find a change in his face and become clever for that. Later he found out that when his doctor too shy his ears tip will be red. Meng Qi now always look for his ears tip every time he woo him.

• • He's silently fascinated by both Mo Li's fish form and human form. He thinks about Mo Li's mountain, and starts to think s*upid things like: What's doctor's mountain like? If doctor is fish, does the mountain is bare and only has a pond? If that so, so is bald mountain? Does doctor is bald? Is he bald? Does the gerbil him has long fur or bald? If long fur so his mountain is not bare? But doctor's hair is black and glossy... which part of the hair in fish form?

• • But then he found out that his original home is very bare, full of sand and dust. He's bald too!! (He's not).

• • When they arrived at the capital, Meng Qi describes his feelings as 'like somebody gone party all day, going home and just want to sleep'.

• • After changed to gerbil, Meng Qi entrust his clothes and turns out give his special sword to Mo Li. Mo Li, being a dense, did not realize that the sword is for him and did not aware that it's a special sword with history and named 'Sincere Love' (or something like that) and give it back to Meng Qi. Why u gave something so subtle lmao this ML...

• • When get his 'power' "back", Meng Qi lost in thought and Mo Li asks him what he's thinking about and he just blurt out 'im thinking to spend all my time with you, doctor'. Mo Li did not know how to react but said 'I don't know why, but this one is happy', then make him touch his wrist (to feel his pulse). The bright-face Meng Qi argued that he's not doctor and cant feel the pulse. According to his scenario, the right thing right now is he made his ear listening to Mo Li's heart, but the doctor just "..." and walk away without turning back.

I actually not too fond with BL. It's just I reaaally yearn for wuxia/xianxia atmosphere and rarely found it here (mostly really romance-based story (it's not that this novel is not romance based but you get what I mean)). Chinese fantasy BL occupy most of the genre even more than HL, but even with that they rarely focus on world building, just another transmigrated man fated to be pushed down by his disciple/martial arts sibling/random ppl turns out demon lord, and something that somehow makes you think 'so when will they do papapa?'. Not to mention the general fantasy where protagonist is totally not OP at all~

The ML is a jaded former revolutionary who helped his group of buddies take over the world (aka just China) then watched them live long enough to become the villains. He and MC take a trip throughout the country, watching all these humans strive towards their grand ambitions from the perspective of aloof non-human bystanders, and accidentally and not-so-accidentally ruining a bunch of plots to overthrow the current dynasty by people who've got a case of main character syndrome and think the world's going to bow its head to them